Day 76 – Mother Nature’s Messing with Me

I woke up to more rain. Not bad but I was hoping for the weatherman to be right for once. I had just got the cobwebs out of my head as I pulled around the corner into Margaree Cove, NS. There in the harbor was an old fishing boat, half capsized, half submerged in the water. I instantly turned around, parked and despite the possibility of being shot for trespassing cut across a lawn to get to the shore. As I approached it I saw that there was a boggy creek to my right. After taking a few shots from the left of the boat I wanted to get the other angle (without the bridge). I carefully tested the stability of the grass covered lumps in which the creek water flowed around. I stepped across with no incident. Then as I was climbing up the bank I took a step and was down and knee deep in mud. Upon trying to prevent a face plant my right leg ended up in beside my left. I was schooled on the ins and outs of wet muddy creeks in Cape Breton.

As I continued around the shore in my soaking wet boots and wet muddy jeans I noticed a fellow had come down to the shore where I was previously. He watched me a bit then disappeared. He knew better than to try to come across the creek I guess. I got my misty shots and made my sloppy return to the truck. As I was changing on the side of the road he came walking up again, said hello and we chatted as I replaced soaking socks with new. He was also happy about the good weather the area is having. A snow plow driver who gets paid snow or not is a happy fellow. He was also the owner of the sad boat I was shooting. Apparently his naughty neighbor untied it during a storm and it ended up smashing the wharf and coming to rest where it sits. Out of spite the boats owner now battles requests by the government to remove it so that it sits there, for the neighbor to see every day. Interesting morning I had.

Wind Blown Resting Place

I drove on, into the Cape Breton highlands and the National Park. The park weather was mostly rain, until I got to the higher elevations, where the snow was amazing. The plowed areas where as high as the speed limit signs in some places. Unfortunately it was also very foggy. I didn’t get much for shots as the weather and visibility sucked, plus the fact that there was almost no where to pull over. It was still amazing to see and I do want to return to visit the park one day during summer as I bet it’s just magical.

Carrying on into Pleasant Bay, White Point and Neil’s Harbor where I got some shots of the huge amazing waves. While I was doing that I’m positive that good ol’ Mother Nature was still trying to get me wet. I initially waited and watched where the waves were coming up to, last thing I need is to be swept out to sea. As I made my way closer to the beach line, one wave came in hard, slamming down on the rocks and splashed me good. I actually laughed out loud. No other waves came that close for the next 15 minutes.

After a brief stop at the Wreck Cove General Store where the friendly gent sold me a tank of gas I made my way to Sydney with a couple stops for some old buildings. It was along here that I noticed I’ve broken the 10,000 mile mark on my trip odometer. It’s now started over at 1.

Here I am in Sydney in the truck, “borrowing” some wireless from the Comfort Inn that I can’t possibly afford to stay at. I did see a Walmart on my way in though.